Life in an IDP camp

When people are forced to leave their homes due to conflict or disaster, they are typically referred to as internally displaced persons, or IDPs. And while the situations that lead to IDP status can be different, the challenges faced by IDPs are often very similar.

When the military seized power in Burma in early 2021, many people were displaced from their homes. Some fled to other countries, but many were internally displaced within Burma. There are now estimated to be over one millions IDPs across the country.

The vast majority of IDPs are in camps, which are often overcrowded and lack basic necessities. In some camps, IDPs have to sleep in shifts because there is not enough space for everyone. There is often not enough food or clean water, and medical care is limited.

The conditions in the camps are exacerbated by the fact that the military has placed restrictions on the movement of IDPs, and even worse, its air force has gone out of its way to bomb IDP clusters. Many IDPs are not allowed to leave the camps, which makes it difficult to get food and other supplies.

Take a moment to imagine that you were suddenly forced to become an IDP. You would have to live in a camp, where you would have little privacy and would have to share everything with everyone else. You would also have to be very careful about what you ate and drank, as there would be limited resources. You would have to be constantly on the lookout for danger, as there would be many people who would want to harm you. You would also have to be very careful about who you talked to, as there could be spies everywhere. It is truly unimaginable.

This is why we have been allocating a steady stream of our resources at Better Burma to support those who have been forced into becoming an IDP. Any small amount you are able to give will go a long ways towards supporting those who have lost everything and are now forced to start over.